Towage of vessels and the like



Oct. 12, 1943.

G. W. PETTIGREW'SMITH TOWAGE OFVESSELS AND THE LIKE Filed April 1, 19422 Sheets-Sheet 1 m I INVENTOQ.

Oct. 12, 1943. G. w. PE' ITI GREW'SMITH 2,331,567

TOWAGE OF VESSELS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "Filed April 1, 1942ATmR/VEYS Patented Oct. 12, 1943 TOWAGE F VESSELS AND THE LIKE GeorgeWilliam Pettigretv-Smith,

Westminster, ,Ilnglandv Application April 1, 1942, Serial No. 437,258 InGreat Britain August 12, 1941 2 Claims.

For the towage of vessels and the like (hereinafter referred to asvessels) the towing vessel is usually provided with a fixed point ofconnection for the towing rope or the like (hereinafter referred to asthe towing rope) the point of connection being usually arranged near thestern of the towing vessel. Should the vessel being towed be swung toone or other side of the longitudinal centre line of the towing vesselthe towing rope turns about the fixed point of connection with theresult that the pull of the towing rope is on the fixed point ofconnection and not on the centre of pullv of the towing vessel with theresult that the manoeuvrability of the said towing vessel is adverselyaffected. The present invention has for its object to provide a point ofconnection for the towing rope which is capable of movement when thevessel being towed deviates from the longitudinal centre line, wherebythe above mentioned disadvantage is overcome.

For this purpose, according to the present invention, there is providedon a towing vessel an arcuate runway and roller assembly havingassociated therewith a shock absorbing device to which a towing rope canbe attached, the roller assembly being adapted to move within therunway, when the vessel being towed moves to one or other side of thelongitudinal centre line of the towing vessel, to take up a positionwhereby the pull of the towing rope is on the centre of pull of thetowing vessel.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, partly insection and Fig. 2 in plan one construction of runway and rollerassembly with associated parts according to the invention. Fig. 3 showsin plan the arcuate runway arranged on the deck of a towing vessel.

Referring to the drawings, an arcuate runway I adapted to be carried bythe stern portion of the deck 2 of a vessel comprises a casing ofrectangular cross section formed so as to leave an opening l (Fig. 1) inits outer side, the casing I being held in position by means of a numberof fillets or plates 3 carried by base plates 4 adapted to be secured tothe deck 2 of the vessel, the fillets or plates extending around thecasing of the runway to which they are secured. Arranged to move withinthe runway is a roller assembly comprising a link or member 5 having ateach end and at the top and bottom thereof a roller 6, the four rollersbeing mounted on vertical spindles 1 so that they can rotate in contactwith the front inner surface of the casing l forming the runway. Thelink 5 is also provided at each end at the top and bottom thereof with aroller 8 mounted on horizontal spindles 9 and arranged that the saidrollers 8 rotate in contact with the upper and lower inner surfaces ofthe casing I. Secured to the link or member 5 between the pairs ofrollers is a lever or rod ill, which may conveniently be screwed intothe link and be welded thereto, adapted to extend through the opening Iin the runway casing. The outer end portion of the lever or rod H3 hasassociated therewith shock absorbing means, which in the example shown,is of known construction.

As shown, the shock absorber comprises two pairs of'levers ll, I2constituting in effect two levers, having convex surfaces adapted toroll upon each other, the normally adjacent ends of the pairs of leversbeing pivoted to oppositely arranged pins or trunnions l3 and I4respectively, on adjacent blocks or distance pieces [5 and i6 mounted ona rod ll between an abutment !8 secured thereto, and a dish-shaped platel9 that serves to support one end of a compression spring 29 surroundingthe rod IT. The other and normally divergent ends of the levers II andl2 are pivoted to oppositely arranged pins or trunnions 2! and 22respectively. The pin 22 is carried by one end of a pull rod or bodymember 23 and the pin 2| is pivoted to a sliding block 24 carried by apair of plates 25, 26 and adapted to move within a slot formed in thebody member 23. To the other ends of the plates 25 and 26 is secured ahook 21 for connection of a towing rope. The end portion of the rod I1is extended outwardly beyond the abutment l8 and has pivoted thereto oneend of each of a pair of links 28, forming in effect a single link, theother ends of the links 28 being pivoted to a pin 29 carried by the bodymember 23, the said links 28 preventing slipping of the levers II and I2on each other during working. The body member 23 has secured thereto, asby rivets 38, a pair of plates 3| and 32 adapted to be secured to thelever or rod ID, as by means of a bolt 33 and nut 3 The outer endportions of the plates 25 and 26 are supported by and adapted to movealong a rail 35 secured to the deck.

What I claim is:

1. Means for towing vessels, comprising an arcuate runway on a towingvessel, a roller assembly in said runway and comprising a body member,rollers mounted on vertical spindles at each end and at the top andbottom of said body member, rollers mounted on horizontal spindles ateach end and at the top and bottom of said body member, said rollersbeing rotatable in contact with the inner surface of said runway, a barcarried by said body member extending outwardly from said runway, andshock absorbing means connected at one end to the outwardly extendingend of said bar, said shock absorbing means having at its free end ahook for attach ment of a towing rope or cable.

2. Means for towing vessels comprising) an arcuate runway of rectangularcross section with a'longitudinal opening'in its outer side mounted on atowing vessel, a roller assembly in said runway and comprising a bodymember, rollers mounted on vertical spindles at each end and at the topand bottom of said body member, rollers mounted on horizontal spindlesat each end and at the top and bottom of said body member, said rollersbeing rotatable in contact with the inner surface of said runway, a barcarried by said body member extending outwardly through said opening insaid runway, and shock absorbing means comprising a pair of levers withconvex surfaces, a spring device to which one end of each of said leversis anchored and load transmitting means to which the free end'of eachconvex lever is connected, said'load transmitting means being connectedat one end to said bar carried by said roller assembly and said loadtransmitting means having at its free end a hook for attachment of atowing rope or cable.

GEORGE WILLIAM PETI'IGREW-SMITH.

